The Celebration

of the
Sacrament of
Holy Orders
The Degrees of Ordination
 The Degrees of Ordination

1. Deacons:
Deacons are not ordained to the priesthood;
rather, they are ordained “unto the
ministry.” This ministry is one of service in
the Church. They do not take on the role of
shepherd in the same way priests and bishops
do, but they are entrusted with the task of
preaching with authority. They also must be
tied to a bishop and act as servants in the
Church in their own unique way according to
the needs of the Church.
 The Degrees of Ordination
2. Presbyters (Priests):
Like the bishops, presbyters share in the
priesthood of Christ. They exercise the same
spiritual power to celebrate Mass, forgive sins,
bring healing, preach with authority and
shepherd souls. The difference is that priests
are tied to a bishop. They are coworkers with
the bishop in the ministry of Christ. In fact,
every priest must be under a bishop to function
in his role. Even those in religious orders must
be tied either to the local bishop, or to the pope
himself as their bishop.
 The Degrees of Ordination

3. Episcopacy (bishops):
The bishops are the successors to the
Apostles. As they established a new Christian
community, an Apostle would ordain a new
bishop to care for that new church. Those new
bishops would do the same and so forth until
today. This unbroken chain of ordination is
essential to a bishop’s valid
ordination. Without it, there would be the
complete loss of the episcopacy as well as the
priesthood and deaconate.
 The Degrees of Ordination

Being the direct descendants of the

Apostles, bishops share in the fullness
of the priesthood. Only they have the
authority to ordain new priests and
deacons. The Holy Father in Rome, the
pope, is a bishop also. Being the successor
of St. Peter himself, he exercises a singular
spiritual authority over the entire
Church. But in regard to his ordination, the
pope is no more or less a bishop than every
other bishop.
 ■ Preparation for a life of sacramental
Preparation
service to the Church comes
through Christian families and
communities, the example of parish
priests, and prayer.
■ The seminary is where a man
acquires his priestly identity and
habits of prayer and service, as well
as the skills and competencies to
preach, teach, provide pastoral
care, and celebrate the liturgy.
 Preparation for Bishops and Deacons
■ Bishops in the Roman Rite are chosen from among the
priesthood.
■ Bishops in the Eastern Rite are chosen from among
celibate monks.
■ A Transitional Deacon is prepared in major seminary for
the diaconate through his training for the priesthood.
■ Permanent Deacons do not attend seminary but instead
attend ongoing formation classes through their diocese
for at least four years.
Celebration of the ■ A deacon or priest must be
Sacrament ordained by his bishop.
■ A bishop must first be a priest and
then ordained a bishop by several
other bishops.
■ Ordination takes place in the
context of the Mass
■ The Sacrament is performed: the
imposition or laying on of hands
and the bishop’s consecratory
prayer.
 The Effects of the Sacrament
■ The Sacrament of Holy Orders confers an indelible
spiritual character, or mark, on the soul that endures
forever.
■ The moral or personal imperfections of the deacon,
priest, or bishop do not objectively prevent Christ
from communicating His grace through him.
■ The priesthood is a sacred and high calling of service
to the Church.
The Truth Is... ● Preparation for the priesthood takes a long
time and a lot of work.
● Those preparing for ordination have
answered God’s calling to serve His people
and to be vehicles of salvation.
● Seminaries focus on the intellection, pastoral,
human, and spiritual formation of these men
so that they can be the best priests they can
be.
● The Devil knows that the failure of a priest
puts many other souls in danger.
● It is precisely for this reason that priestly
formation is so rigorous and important.